Chakrata is a

cantonment A cantonment (, , or ) is a military quarters. In Bangladesh, India and other parts of South Asia, a ''cantonment'' refers to a permanent military station (a term from the British India, colonial-era). In military of the United States, United Stat ...

town and also a sub district/

tehsil A tehsil (, also known as tahsil, taluka, or taluk) is a local unit of administrative division in some countries of South Asia. It is a subdistrict of the area within a district including the designated populated place that serves as its adminis ...

, in Dehradun district. in the state of

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

, India. It lies between the

Tons Tons can refer to: * Tons River, a major river in India * Tamsa River, locally called Tons in its lower parts (Allahabad district, Uttar pradesh, India). * the plural of ton, a unit of mass, force, volume, energy or power :* short ton, 2,000 poun ...

and

Yamuna The Yamuna ( Hindustani: ), also spelt Jumna, is the second-largest tributary river of the Ganges by discharge and the longest tributary in India. Originating from the Yamunotri Glacier at a height of about on the southwestern slopes of B ...

rivers, at an elevation of 2118 m, 98 km from the state capital,

Dehradun Dehradun () is the capital and the List of cities in Uttarakhand by population, most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is the administrative headquarters of the eponymous Dehradun district, district and is governed by the Dehr ...

. Chakrata was originally a cantonment of the

British Indian Army The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which cou ...

. To the west lies

Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; ; "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen mountain states and is characterized by an extreme landscape featuring several pea ...

, and to the east are

Mussoorie Mussoorie is a hill station and a municipal board, near Dehradun city in the Dehradun district of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. It is about from the state capital of Dehradun and north of the national capital of New Delhi. The hill s ...

(73 km) and Tehri Garhwal.

History

The area is known as Jaunsar-Bawar,Chakrata Tahsil & Town
The Imperial Gazetteer of India, 1909, v. 10, p. 125. which has a marked presence in few surrounding villages. In 1901, Chakrata Tehsil was part of the Dehradun district, of United Provinces, with a collective population of 51,101, which consisted of the towns of Chakrata (population 1250) and Kalsi, with a population of 760, which is most known for the rock edict of the

Mauryan The Maurya Empire, or the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron Age historical power in the Indian subcontinent based in Magadha, having been founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE, and existing in loose-knit fashion until 1 ...

king

Ashoka Ashoka (, ; also ''Asoka''; 304 – 232 BCE), popularly known as Ashoka the Great, was the third emperor of the Maurya Empire of Indian subcontinent during to 232 BCE. His empire covered a large part of the Indian subcontinent, s ...

2nd century BC, first discovered by John Forest, in 1860.

The cantonment

A cantonment of British Indian Army, was established in 1869 by Colonel Hume of the 55th Regiment,

, and the troops and officers first occupied the cantonment in April 1869. Chakrata is an access-restricted military cantonment, and foreigners face severe restrictions in visiting. Notably, it is the permanent garrison of the secretive and elite Special Frontier Force, also known as 'Establishment 22' (called "Two-Two"), the only ethnic

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken diale ...

unit of the Indian Army, which was raised after the Sino-India War of 1962. Weapons and survival training is also imparted by other intelligence services in Chakrata, in support of Indian foreign policy goals, especially pertaining to other countries in the Indian Subcontinent.

Tourism and nature

Ancient Wooden Mahasu Devta Temple at Hanol Jaunsar ,Garhwal(Uttrakhand)

Chakrata can be reached from

via

or Vikasnagar passing through kalsi Gate (where Ashoka Stumbh is situated). Both routes pass through beautiful mountainous roads. Travelling in the monsoon can be tricky as the area sees frequent road blockages due to landslides. The area has an abundance of conifers, rhododendrons and oaks. The red rhododendrons are the most abundantly found in this region. The attractions near Chakrata are: * Tiger Falls is one of the highest direct waterfalls in Uttarakhand. It is 20 km from Chakrata and has an elevation of 312 ft. *Budher (Moila Danda) is a picturesque meadow at an altitude of 2800 metres. The Karst landscapes of Budher are home to a network of ancient limestone caves. * Kanasar is surrounded by one of the best-rated Deodar forest of Asia. About 25 km from Chakrata market on Tuini Road, the roads are not in the best shape. The meadows and giant trees more than make up for the bumpy drive. It is one of the best picnic spots near Chakrata. A forest rest house in Kanasar and some tented accommodation allows visitors to spend a night here on prior booking. * Chilmiri sunset point at 4 km from main Chakrata market is a picturesque plateau offering one of the best views of sunset. *Deoban perched at about 2900 meters offers a panoramic view of the Himalayas. * Mundali meadows are hard to access yet hold a huge potential for winter sports. *

Lakhamandal Lakhamandal is an ancient Hindu temple complex, situated in the Jaunsar-Bawar region of Dehradun district in the state of Uttarakhand. The temple is dedicated to lord Shiva. This temple is popular among the Shaktism, who believe that a visit ...

is an ancient Hindu temple complex dedicated to Shiva and associated with the Pandavas. It is slightly further from Chakrata and may take almost a whole day of driving and coming back. For heritage and a long drive, this

Archaeological Survey of India The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexand ...

protected site is a must visit. *Bairat Khai (The Princess of Hills), also known as Bairat Khai Pass is 25 km east of Chakrata where people can witness 180-degree view of snow-covered Himalayas throughout the year in the north. Situated at an altitude of about 1990 meters, Bairat Khai is surrounded by the peaks of Chorani Dhar at 2300 meters in the west and Julioki Dhar at 2150 meters also known as Tiger hill locally in the eastern side. Bairat Khai has deep valleys on the north and southern side of the pass where you can see villages and houses built in the valleys. Tourists flock here to witness snowfall in the winters and pleasant weather in summers also attract the tourists in huge numbers. Mussoorie is 54 km from Bairat Khai. * Manjhgaon is an ancient Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is called Massu Devta in regional language. It is 15 kilometres from Chakrata market. It is the oldest temple in the region.

Extended destinations

Hanol is 100 km from Chakrata and is a beautiful getaway in the middle of nowhere. For those who want to explore and drive/ride nearby, Hanol is a good destination. A Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GMVN) hotel provides basic accommodation in Hanol. Hanol has Mahasu Devta Temple dedicated to Lord Mahasu. Mahasu Devta is worshiped in the entire Jaunsar-babar region and is at seven places across this region like Radina, Thaina, Indroli, Lakhwar, and

. There are a dozen decent private hotels and some eateries. Petrol and diesel are hard to come by (for civilians) but can be obtained in small quantities from local traders. The hotels of Chakrata are Blue Canvas Resort, Golden arc, Hotel Burans, Hotel Himalayan Paradise, Hotel Snow View, and Gwasa Water Valley Resort, Hotel MRB Residency.

Demographics

As of 2011 India census, Chakrata town falls under 15.70 square km. There are 759 households, and urban Chakrata has a population of 5,117 of which males are 3,717 (73%) and females 1,400 (27%). 73% of the population falls under the general category, while 11% are from schedule caste and 17% are schedule tribes. Child (aged under 6 years) population of Chakrata (CB) cantonment board is 7%, among them 54% are boys and 46% are girls. There are 759 households in the city and an average 7 persons live in every family. 84% of the population (4,293 persons) is 'literate'. The sub-district Chakrata has a total population of 67,258, with 34,938 males and 32,320 females. The total area of the sub-district is 542.59 square km. Apart from the area under the cantonment board, Chakrata falls under the 'rural' category. In the sub-district, the demographics are starkly different from the urban area, with 34.6% (23,265 persons) belonging to Scheduled castes, and 54.9% (36,919 persons) to Scheduled Tribes. 51.2% of the population, i.e. 34,440 persons are 'literate'.

Civic Administration

The urban area of Chakrata falls under the jurisdiction of the Urban Local Body in Chakrata, the Cantonment Board (CB). There are 6 wards. The cantonment board consists of 12 members, including 6 elected members.

Notes

References

External links

Chakrata Tahsil & Town, The Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 10, p. 125, 1909

Chakrata Tourism

Chakrata on wikimapia

Chakrata — A Gem of a Hill Station
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Dehradun district Tourism in Uttarakhand Cantonments of India Hill stations in Uttarakhand